Manfrotto Spectra LED Lights: Daylight that Fits in Your Camera Bag

The popularity of on-camera LED light sources continues to rise, due in large part to their compact size, versatility, and energy efficiency. While the technology has improved drastically over the past few years, the quality of LEDs can vary greatly from manufacturers, leading to inconsistencies between identical models, as well as poor color accuracy. Lighting is the heart and soul of photography and videography; the element with arguably the most importance to technical value and artistic expression. Because of this, it is an area in which professionals simply can’t afford any compromises in quality. This is where Manfrotto comes in.

Manfrotto’s Spectra family of LED lights is designed to meet the needs and demands of professional videographers and photographers working on location or in the studio. The lights borrow LED technology from Litepanels, with all LED components sourced from established LED manufacturers. Only the highest-quality LEDs are selected, ensuring the same performance from each model.

The Specta range consists of five models, which come in different sizes and offer varying light output and beam angles: the Spectra 500S, 500F, 900S, 900F, and 900FT. The “S” in the product names signifies a spotlight, or narrow beam angle of around 30 degrees, while the “F” designates a floodlight with a beam angle of around 60 degrees. Most of the models have a daylight-balanced 5600K light output; the Spectra 900FT is adjustable from 3200K to 5600K. With a high Color Rendering Index (CRI) of greater than 90, each light provides high-fidelity color reproduction for natural-looking skin tones without the green color cast found in many other LED lights. Adding to their versatility, the lights are dimmable from 0 to 100%, maintaining a consistent white balance throughout the range, and are flicker free at all frame rates and shutter speeds.

The lights can be powered easily using AA Alkaline batteries, or rechargeable Lithium-ion AA batteries for longer periods of time, with an average battery life of around 1.5 hours. Lithium-ion batteries run the risk of becoming hot enough during operation to trigger the unit’s internal protection, which will shut the fixture down until a cooler operational temperature is reached. The LED lights can alternatively be powered by 100 to 240 VAC using the optional AC adapter. Additionally, the Spectra 900F and 900FT are provided with a D-tap input to accept power from various power sources utilizing D-tap plugs.

Compact and lightweight, Spectra models are suitable for a wide range of lighting applications and fit easily into your camera bag. Choose to mount a light on-camera using the included ball head with hot-shoe attachment, or on lighting accessories (stands, booms, clamps, arms, etc.) using the 1-4"-20 threaded hole on the bottom of each. Also included with each light is a set of filters, including one ¼ CTO, one ½ CTO, and one opal diffuser.

Whether you’re looking to supplement natural lighting, add a secondary source for portraits or product photography, fill in shadows, or add an eye light to make your subjects come alive, Spectra LED lights make a useful addition to any professional’s tool kit.